Airway epithelium damage in acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Background: The airway epithelium (AE) fulfils multiple functions to maintain pulmonary homeostasis, among which ensuring adequate barrier function, cell differentiation and polarization, and actively transporting immunoglobulin A (IgA), the predominant mucosal immunoglobulin in the airway lumen, via the polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (pIgR). Morphological changes of the airways have been reported in ARDS, while their detailed features, impact for mucosal immunity, and causative mechanisms remain unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to assess epithelial alterations in the distal airways of patients with ARDS.

Donor- and isolation-related predictive factors of secretory function of cultured human islets.

Background And Aims: Human islet preparations designated for research exhibit diverse insulin-secretory profiles. This study aims to assess the impact of donor- and isolation-related factors on islet secretory function.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of 46 isolations from 23 pancreata discarded for clinical transplantation was conducted.

Tongue, larynx and esophageal leishmaniosis in an immunocompetent patient: a case report with description of imaging findings and discussion of current literature: A case of multifocal mucosal leishmaniosis.

Mucosal leishmaniosis (ML) is a rare manifestation of leishmaniosis, usually caused by in northeast Brazil and by and in the Mediterranean Europe and Africa. We present the case of a 66-year-old man living between Belgium and Congo, presenting with dysphonia for several months. Imaging work-up with PET-CE, CT scan, and MRI of the tongue, larynx, and esophagus reflected inflammatory and granulomatous tissue, confirmed at the biopsy.

Restin protein expression in non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: Restin is a member of the melanoma-associated antigen (MAGE) superfamily. Its expression has been reported to be up- or downregulated in cancer. Preclinical data suggest it is a tumor suppressor.

Flecainide-induced pneumonitis: a case report.

Background: We report a case of acute respiratory distress associated with a histological pattern of acute fibrinous and organizing pneumonia, and discuss the possible responsibility of flecainide therapy.

Case Presentation: A 61-year-old African woman developed a rapidly progressive dyspnea and required admission in the intensive care unit for orotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation. Chest X-ray examination revealed bilateral infiltrates predominating in the basal part of both lungs.

Chilblains observed during the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be distinguished from classic, cold-related chilblains.

Background: Type 1 interferon (IFN-I) response induced by SARS-CoV-2 has been hypothesized to explain the association between chilblain lesions (CL) and SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Objective: To explore direct cytopathogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 in CL and to focus on IFN-I expression in patients with chilblains.

Materials & Methods: A monocentric cohort of 43 patients presenting with CL from April 2020 to May 2021 were included.

Prognostic effect of body mass index in patients with advanced NSCLC treated with chemoimmunotherapy combinations.

Introduction: It has been recognized that increasing body mass index (BMI) is associated with improved outcome from immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in patients with various malignancies including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, it is unclear whether baseline BMI may influence outcomes from first-line chemoimmunotherapy combinations.

Methods: In this international multicenter study, we evaluated the association between baseline BMI, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in a cohort of patients with stage IV NSCLC consecutively treated with first-line chemoimmunotherapy combinations.

Real-life prevalence of progressive fibrosing interstitial lung diseases.

The concept of progressive fibrosing interstitial lung disease (PF-ILD) has recently emerged. However, real-life proportion of PF-ILDs outside IPF is still hard to evaluate. Therefore, we sought to estimate the proportion of PF-ILD in our ILD cohort.

Loss of ciliated cells and altered airway epithelial integrity in cystic fibrosis.

Background: In cystic fibrosis, the respiratory epithelium is the target tissue of both the genetic abnormality of the disease and of external aggressions, notably by pathogens (Pseudomonas aeruginosa). A detailed characterisation of the cystic fibrosis bronchial epithelium is however lacking, as most previous studies focused on the nasal epithelium or on cell lines. This study aimed to characterise the abnormal phenotype and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in cystic fibrosis bronchial epithelium and to evaluate in cell cultures whether abnormalities persist ex vivo.

Increased Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 and Loss of Alveolar Type II Cells in COVID-19-related Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

ACE2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2), the entry receptor for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is expressed in type 2 alveolar epithelial cells (AT2) that may play key roles in postinjury repair. An imbalance between ACE2 and ACE has also been hypothesized to contribute to lung injury. To characterize the expression and distribution of ACE2 and ACE and to compare AT2 with endothelial cell expression in coronavirus disease (COVID-19)-related or -unrelated acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and controls.

Antibiotic-exposed patients with non-small-cell lung cancer preserve efficacy outcomes following first-line chemo-immunotherapy.

Background: Prior antibiotic therapy (pATB) is known to impair efficacy of single-agent immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), potentially through the induction of gut dysbiosis. Whether ATB also affects outcomes to chemo-immunotherapy combinations is still unknown.

Patients And Methods: In this international multicentre study, we evaluated the association between pATB, concurrent ATB (cATB) and overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and objective response rate (ORR) in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with first-line chemo-immunotherapy at eight referral institutions.

Tumor response to EGFR/BRAF/MEK co-inhibition in a patient with EGFR mutated lung adenocarcinoma developing a BRAF mutation as an acquired resistance mechanism.

EGFR-mutant adenocarcinomas represent 12% of unselected lung adenocarcinomas and 44% of never smoker adenocarcinomas in the Caucasian population. Activating mutations like exon19 deletion or exon21 Leu858Arg point mutations are predictive of tumor response to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Unfortunately, acquired resistance inevitably occurs by the development of novel EGFR mutations, mutations in other genes, gene amplification, gene fusion or tumor transformation.

Hibernoma-like Changes and TFE3 Expression in Mesothelioma Mimicking TFE3-Translocation Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Diagnostic Pitfall.

The long delay between asbestos exposure and the development of mesothelioma will likely result in an increased incidence of mesothelioma in our industrialized societies. Radiation therapy is another factor known to induce these tumors. We describe a rare case of foamy looking mesothelioma in a 63-year-old patient with a long oncology history of a supposed peritoneal carcinomatosis.

Short telomeres increase the risk of severe COVID-19.

Telomeres are non-coding DNA sequences that protect chromosome ends and shorten with age. Short telomere length (TL) is associated with chronic diseases and immunosenescence. The main risk factor for mortality of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is older age, but outcome is very heterogeneous among individuals of the same age group.

Canonical WNT pathway is activated in the airway epithelium in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a devastating lung disease, mainly due to cigarette smoking, which represents the third cause of mortality worldwide. The mechanisms driving its epithelial salient features remain largely elusive. We aimed to evaluate the activation and the role of the canonical, β-catenin-dependant WNT pathway in the airway epithelium from COPD patients.

Lung immunoglobulin A immunity dysregulation in cystic fibrosis.

Background: In cystic fibrosis (CF), recurrent infections suggest impaired mucosal immunity but whether production of secretory immunoglobulin A (S-IgA) is impaired remains elusive. S-IgA is generated following polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (pIgR)-mediated transepithelial transport of dimeric (d-)IgA and represents a major defence through neutralisation of inhaled pathogens like Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa).

Methods: Human lung tissue (n = 74), human sputum (n = 118), primary human bronchial epithelial cells (HBEC) (cultured in air-liquid interface) (n = 19) and mouse lung tissue and bronchoalveolar lavage were studied for pIgR expression, IgA secretion and regulation.

Chilblains and COVID-19: why SARS-CoV-2 endothelial infection is questioned.

 Colmenero 2020; :729–737.

A rare case of multimetastatic cardiac angiosarcoma.

Cardiac malignant tumors are rare entities with nonspecific clinical presentation and poor prognosis. Here, we report a case of about a 30-year-old man who was admitted for right thoracic pain. Imaging indicated a cardiac malignant tumor, and pathology confirmed the diagnosis.

Altered generation of ciliated cells in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

In COPD, epithelial changes are prominent features in the airways, such as goblet cell hyperplasia and squamous metaplasia. In contrast, it remains unclear whether ciliated cells are reduced and which pathways dysregulate epithelial differentiation. We hypothesized that bronchial epithelial cell lineage specification is dysregulated in COPD because of an aberrant reprogramming through transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1.